Akobo produces first gold bar from Segele mine
Akobo Minerals has reached a major milestone with the successful production of its first gold bar from the Segele Mine in Ethiopia.
The Segele Mine, located in southern Ethiopia, is known for its high-grade gold deposit. The Segele project attracted attention due to its exceptionally high-grade gold, with some drill results showing over 1,000 grams of gold per tonne. Akobo Minerals began initial mining activities at Segele in 2023, with the intention of producing gold bars from the extracted ore. The project focuses on a smaller, high-grade resource, making it an attractive and economically feasible mine. Early estimates suggested potential production of around 45,000 ounces of gold, and the project is being developed in phases.
Scope of work
Weighing 1.4 kg, the bar was produced from approximately 170 tonnes of lower-grade ore collected from development tunnels. This ore had an average grade of 8 grams per tonne (g/t), and while initial results are promising, the company is still in the early stages of determining the final recovery rate and gold purity.
The tailings from this initial phase will be stored and later reprocessed through Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) tanks, which will be fully operational in the future, allowing for higher gold recovery rates. Akobo Minerals is also preparing to mine higher-grade ore as stoping activities begin, which is expected to further enhance gold production.
Moving forward, the company plans to continue blasting and stockpiling material, with further production batches anticipated. As production ramps up, Akobo expects to see increased gold content from the Segele mine and improved recovery rates at the processing plant. This development positions Akobo for significant growth as it progresses toward full-scale gold mining operations.
